In conventional practice, certain communication devices may be configured to generate alarms and to report any such alarms directly to a centralized expert system for trouble ticket generation, problem analysis, testing, and eventual resolution of device problems. Resolution of a particular device problem using this approach generally requires the centralized expert system to be connected directly to the affected device, in order to perform tests and to clear the problem. Unfortunately, this is typically not an optimal solution for most communication device users as it may compromise their network security. Also, human intervention is frequently required in order to provide a satisfactory resolution to the problem. Thus, the time and resources required to resolve a problem using this approach can often be excessive, leading to increased costs for both the device user and the service provider.
Another drawback is that the conventional approach is not readily scalable. This is because the centralized expert system, which is typically accessed for any problem to be resolved, presents a significant processing bottleneck. Of course, the severity of the bottleneck increases with the number of communication devices to be supported.
Accordingly, a need exists for an improved approach to resolving communication device problems, that does not suffer from the drawbacks associated with the conventional requirement of direct interaction between a given device and a centralized expert system in order to provide a satisfactory resolution to a device problem.